Bacon Jam Cheeseburgers

 

There are commercial brands of bacon jam available in supermarkets and grocery stores, but you can make your own bacon jam, here is the link ... https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2021/04/bacon-jam.html

 

Ingredients (per burger):

 

6 ounces ground chuck

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 pinches ground black pepper (a pinch for each side of the burger)

2 pinches salt (a pinch for each side of the burger)

a little oil for cooking

hamburger bun

1 thick slice of tomato

2 or 3 cucumber slices (medium thickness)

lettuce or arugula 

2 slices sharp American cheese  (one for bottom, one for top)

2 heaping tablespoons bacon jam

 

Mix the Worcestershire into the ground chuck to be used for each burger patty. Form the patty and add the salt and pepper to each side. Use a little oil for the skillet or grill to help the burger get started. Cook the burger to the preferred state of doneness and then remove it to a dish. Add the split bun to the skillet or grill and just very briefly let it soak up some of the drippings and toast a little, about 1 minute. Place the opened bun on the serving plate and add 1 slice of cheese to the bottom, then top this with the burger, and then the other slice of cheese, then the bacon jam (spread it out evenly). Add the pickle slices, the tomato and the lettuce or arugula, then place the top of the bun on and press down a little to set everything in place. Serve with French fries. 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Craft-This word is related to ''crave'' and to "cram," both from Germanic. "Craft" goes back to Indo European "ger," which meant "to pull together, to gather up, to fit or put together, twist, wind (long 'i')." This gave Old Germanic "kraf/kreb," which meant "strength, might;" that is, "the energy or force put together from within, manifested in physical strength." The meaning broadened beyond an individual's physical strength to "tribal might and skill in war." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "cræft," meaning, "strength, might, power, strength in mind, skill;" thus also, "trade, profession," and this then became "craft," with the "strength, might" meaning diminishing over the centuries and becoming obsolete by the 1500s, but with the "skill" meaning becoming more and more prominent over time. The second half of the 1600s saw the word also applied to "a small boat," although exactly why is unclear (skill required to make them? Skill required to operate one? Or perhaps the strength [rowing] or power [wind] required to sail one, which would take the meaning back to the roots of the word? Whatever the case, this meaning remains with us to this day). The verb also dates to Old English "cræftan," which meant, "to build or make (using skill)." Relatives in the other Germanic languages have all stayed with or close to the original meaning: German and Low German have "Kraft" (strength, might, power), in German, "Streitkräfte" means "military forces, armed forces," Dutch "kracht" (force, power, strength), West Frisian "krêft" (force, power), Icelandic "kraftur" (energy, force, might), Norwegian "kraft" (force, power, might), Danish "kraft" (power, energy, might), Swedish "kraft" (force, energy, might, vigor). 

 

Bacon Jam

The Austrian state of Styria (German: Steiermark, capital: Graz) saw the development of "Verhackert(es)," seemingly the forerunner of bacon jam. Verhackert(es) is well ground bacon, garlic, salt and sometimes paprika or pepper mixed together to form a spread that is eaten on bread. "Verhackert(es)" is a word closely related to English "hack."

 

Ingredients:

 

1 pound thick sliced bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup apple juice

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons thick ketchup 

In a skillet over medium heat, saute the bacon until the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon to a paper towel to drain pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Turn down the heat to low and add the finely chopped onion to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until the onions brown and caramelize (this can take about 10 minutes or more). Add the garlic, brown sugar and cider vinegar, stir well until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium briefly until it begins to boil, then again reduce the heat to low and stir in the apple juice, being sure to scape up and browned bits from the skillet. Add the bacon, the black pepper and stir in the ketchup. Cook the mixture over low heat until it thickens.  

 

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Champ/Chomp/Jam-The origin of the verb "champ"^ is uncertain, although many believe it to be imitative of the sound of "noisy chewing." The word seems to show up about 1400 as ''chamb'' and "chammen," with the meaning "to chew." Later, when potatoes were brought from the New World and became acceptable in Europe (they were initially thought to be poisonous, as were tomatoes), the Irish developed a dish of mashed potatoes and scallions (green onions) they called "champ," perhaps because the ingredients were seemingly "chewed up;" that is, "mashed together?" Or perhaps because of the chewing sound necessary to eat the dish, as more and more the word "champ" carried the notion of not only "chewing," but of "the sound of chewing," of "noisily chewing." The mid 1600s saw the development of the variant "chomp" in the American Colonies. In the early 1700s, the word "jam" shows up, and it is likely from "champ," with the idea of "jaws or teeth pressing together" carrying over to jam, "to wedge between, to press together." The noun form for "fruit and sugar cooked together for a spread or tart filling" is from about 1740, and its development is likely from the same idea as the Irish potato dish mentioned above. "Being in a jam;" that is, "being in a difficult situation," traces to the early 1900s.

 

^ The noun "champ" is simply an American English shortening of "champion" from circa 1870.